While perusing Laura Fenton’s captivating new book, The Little Book of Living Small, we were delighted to see designer Glenn Ban‘s compact East Hamptons home featured. Julie wrote about his Provincetown cottage a few years ago, and it remains one of our favorite beach houses we’ve covered on our site.
No surprise, Glenn’s Long Island hideaway, measuring just 600 square feet, is just as charming and refined. “I’ve always lived in smaller spaces. I connect with them. I like being able to see a home and its intentions,” he tells us, while conceding that “living small does force you to make choices, but it doesn’t mean you can’t be creative.”
No, it doesn’t. And this tidy little home is proof of that. Built in the early 1800s as just a single room, it was used mainly as an artists’ retreat. Though more rooms (two bedrooms, a kitchen, and a bathroom) were added in later years, it remains a humble, characterful abode—just the way Glenn prefers it.
Above: Glenn transformed the enclosed porch into a mudroom/reading room. His affinity for a neutral palette, natural textures, and vintage and antique objects is clear from the get-go. Above: Glenn sold this house this past summer (he has since resettled in nearby Sag Harbor). His favorite room while living here, though, was this one: “It has wonderful natural light and allowed me to create a cozy spot to read or just drop towels after the beach.” Above: The Donald Judd-inspired plywood daybed was built for his old home but fit nicely here. Above it hangs a photograph of a Cape Cod beach by his friend Barry Balczun. Above: Another favorite feature: the wooden ceiling beams in the living room, the original “single room” from the 1800s. Above: “I love vintage furniture and objects and include them not only in my home, but also my clients’ homes. I think they offer a level of interest that’s necessary when developing an interior. My favorite resources are online auctions, 1stdibs, Chairish, Etsy, but I also love a good tag sale, vintage shop, or flea market.” Above: Two modest-sized bedrooms, nearly identical in size are just off the main living area. Above: Each bedroom is big enough for just a bed and a couple pieces of small furniture. Above: While collections of his favorite objects and art can be found in the main living areas, the sleeping quarters remain pleasingly serene and bare. Above: A Saarinen table in the dining area is a modern counterpoint to antique wooden chairs. Above: The kitchen, humble and practical, was left untouched. Above: Glenn brought in a large bookcase for more storage in the kitchen. “Play with scale,” he advises. “Sometimes people tend to buy furniture and objects that are too small. Take a risk. Bring in something a little off. Often that’s what a space needs.” Above: The exterior is clad in classic cedar shingles.
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